Charles Barkley knew the Orlando Magic were going to lose Game 2 of their playoff series with the Detroit Pistons before the first quarter even started.
After dropping Game 1 at home, Detroit bounced back with a 98-83 victory. Cade Cunningham led the charge for the Pistons with 27 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. Veteran forward Tobias Harris had a double-double of his own with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
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Apparently, Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff delivered a great halftime message that sparked a 38-16 beatdown in the third quarter. That’s all Detroit needed to put Game 2 away.
“He really got on us in the locker room,” Harris told reporters. “[His message was] there is no more of ‘my bads.’ It’s like they’re out there hustling, getting offensive boards on us. And there’s too many of them for us [to allow] as a group. We know that’s not our standard.”
Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff react to a technical foul call by referee David Guthrie (16) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Magic, meanwhile, went viral for having one of the worst pregame celebrations of all time. It was so absurd that Barkley criticized Tristan da Silva and Desmond Bane on national television.
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As ESPN was showing footage of the Magic’s pregame handshakes, you could hear Barkley saying, “Oh come on, come on, oh.”
Who has the edge heading into Game 3?
Despite losing Game 2 in convincing fashion, Orlando is heading into Game 3 with a ton of confidence.
“We’re not backing down,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It’s not who we are. Especially in a series like this, in a game like this, with an opponent like this; we’re not backing down. They threw everything that they had in that moment — the aggression, the physicality, all the plays in the game — that’s part of it.
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The Pistons will be slight favorites on the road for Game 3. They need to win at least one of these next two games to regain home-court advantage.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.